Creating an identity after Dayton

Banja Luka is a strange place. It is the capital of a state which exists as a result of Dayton. Though it has some autonomy, it is still part of the country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Perhaps in response to this odd status, the Republika Srpska has attempted to create a history for themselves. This became most apparent as we met with our guide Milan and visited the Museum of the Republika Srpska.

The city is not very attractive, but this is clearly the result of the 1969 earthquake which destroyed a good part of the city. Communist aesthete as well as pragmatism led to the construction of several rather nondescript high-rises. There is a war memorial in the center of town near our hotel - the Soviet-era Hotel Bosna. When we arrived, the music in the hotel was so loud that we had to yell at the gentleman at reception who smiled at us without comprehension.

Milan's tour was rather interesting, albeit fraught with historical errors. Troubling, since Milan is a teacher of history at both a secondary school and the local university.

The churches of Banja Luka are quite striking. One of the most striking things about them, is that they are building a copy of an existing church in the center of the town. A copy of the church to the left is being built across from the rocking Hotel Bosna.

What is missing in Banja Luka are the various mosques which used to make the city so diverse. Milan argued that it was foolish that the Republika Srpska was required to rebuild the mosques when there were not many Muslims living any more in the RS. He said that all of the rebuilding was political. He showed us where the great Ferhadija Mosque once stood.  The Islamic Society building still stands on the edge of the plot – its flag seemingly a sign of surrender rather than defiance.

The museum was more interesting because of what was not there, rather than the exhibit. No mention of the war. No mention of Jasenovac. No mention of the former Muslim culture in the RS. Simply a retelling of the glories of the partisans - and lots of ethnic costumes.

Milan would go on to exaggerate the number of dead at Jasenovac, giving us a number that exceeded that killed in all of Yugoslavia during the war; he would also tell us that the failure to have trials at the end of World War II laid the foundation for the 1990s’ war. This, however, is rather curious since there were significant trials at the end of the war. After strolling by the stalls selling Karadzic and Mladic paraphernalia, we said good-bye to Milan and went to dinner at the Turkish fort in the center of the city.